Frank Ordoñez / The Post-StandardChandler Jones talks to reporters after participating in SU football's annual Pro Day at Manley Field House on March 8.

Syracuse, NY -- The last Syracuse University football player taken in the first round of the NFL Draft was defensive end Dwight Freeney, who went to the Indianapolis Colts in 2002.

Ten years later, Chandler Jones, another defensive end, could be the next first-rounder for the Orange.

While pre-draft hype and speculation is hard to rely on, there are several teams who have been mentioned as possibly taking Jones, from Endicott, N.Y., in the first round. Among them are the San Diego Chargers, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran a feature story on Jones this week, talking about his training with his brother, mixed martial arts champ Jon 'Bones' Jones, to develop his ability to fend off blockers on runs or fight past them while rushing the passer.

SU head coach Doug Marrone told reporters following Saturday's scrimmage in Rochester that the whole Orange program is pulling for Jones to be chosen on April 26 - the Thursday night when the draft's first round will be a prime-time ESPN telecast.

"I don’t know about where he goes in the draft. I’m not in that league anymore," Marrone said. "But I tell him all the time, there’s no one pulling for you more, outside of your own family, than this (SU) family."

Marrone said that high profile draft choices are always good for a program.

"The higher he goes, the better career he has in the NFL, will only help Syracuse football," Marrone said. "Everyone knows if you’re a 17-or 18-year-old kid, and you’re being recruited, you know – ‘Why don’t you come up here and play defensive end for us. Our last defensive end went in the first round’ – that’s a good thing. Not only that, but Chandler is a New York State kid. So that shows there is that type of talent in this state. We just have to get it here at Syracuse University and develop it."

Jones apparently has visited a number of teams since a solid showing at the NFL Combine in February, including the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars.

His older brother, Art, is a third-year defensive tackle with the Baltimore Ravens.

Freeney's drafting by the Colts in 2002 was the last of five straight drafts in which SU had a first-round selection.

Before that, Orange players chosen in Round One were defensive backs Tebucky Jones (22nd to New England) and Donovin Darius (25th to Jacksonville) in 1998; Donovan McNabb (2nd to Philadelphia) in 1999; Keith Bulluck (30th to Tennessee) in 2000; and Will Allen (22nd to the New York Giants) in 2001.

The highest Orange player taken since then was tackle Adam Terry, who went in the second round (64th overall) to Baltimore in 2005.